Such a circuit arrangement is known from the prior art. If the drive circuit is now in the form of a remote-controlled electronic ballast, there is the risk of the removal of a lamp from the circuit arrangement during operation not being recognized if the corresponding load circuit is not monitored. The corresponding load circuit can then continue to operate in the so-called capacitive mode. Owing to the lack of damping by the lamp removed and given an unchanged operating frequency, the switches which are generally used as transistors in the drive circuit are no longer operated at the optimum time, at which the transistors are without voltage, but at times at which a voltage is present across the transistor and, at the same time, current flows through the transistor. The power loss which is thereby increased and is converted in the transistor may lead to heating of the transistor which may result in destruction of the transistor.